Tale #50 -- Mind Control

"I wonder what's wrong with David McDougall," Oreo said. She and Bandit were sitting outside the bathroom door, listening to strange noises inside.

"Maybe he has a furball," Bandit said.

"Don't be silly," said Oreo. "People don't have enough fur to get furballs."

"It sure sounds like he's coughing something up," Bandit said.

The bathroom door opened. David McDougall staggered back to his bedroom without even saying good morning to the cats.

"Hey! We're hungry!" Bandit called. He pushed against the bedroom door. It didn't open. Then he scratched on the door. Nothing happened.

"There must be something seriously wrong with him," Oreo said. "Usually, he yells as soon as you start scratching."

"Yeah," Bandit said. He licked his paw and rubbed his face. "If he doesn't get moving soon, we'll starve to death."

"No need to worry yet," Oreo said. "There's still lots of dry food. Let's take a nap and see what happens."

Two hours later, the cats woke from their naps and went to David McDougall's door again. They called and called, but there was no answer.

"What will we do now?" Bandit said.

"We will have to exercise mind control," Oreo said.

"Mind control?" Bandit asked. "What's that?"

"We sit side by side at the window and attract attention by using our thoughts." Oreo explained.

"How do we do that?" Bandit asked.

"If we think really hard about what we want, it will happen," Oreo said.

"Really?" Bandit said. "How come?"

"Cats rule the world," Oreo said.

"I suppose it's worth a try," Bandit said.

The cats sat side by side in front of the window and thought as hard as they could.

Somebody! Anybody! Please come here! WE NEED HELP!

"I think it's working!" Bandit said. "Ben's mother's car is turning into the driveway."

Soon the door bell rang. David McDougall did not answer. Then the phone rang again and again and again.

"She's using her cell phone," Oreo said. "That should get his attention."

After a while, David McDougall answered the phone. He told Ben's mother to go away. Then he growled, "Oh, all right!" and went to the door to let her in.

"You look terrible," Ben's mother said.

"That was a dirty trick, threatening to call 9-1-1," David McDougall said.

"Get in my car," Ben's mother said. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"I'm not going," David McDougall said.

"Yes, you are," Ben's mother said. "You need to see a doctor."

"You'll have to wait until I get dressed," David McDougall said.

"You don't need clothes at the hospital," Ben's mother said. "Just throw a coat on over your pyjamas."

In the evening, Ben came to feed the cats.

"It's about time!" Oreo said. "We were starving!"

"Mr. McDougall had an emergency appendectomy," Ben told them. "He'll be home in a day or two. The doctor said he got to the hospital just in time."

"Wow!" said Bandit. "Mind control really works. Let's think about smoked salmon. Maybe Ben will bring us some."